I'm on a freaking role here... we're coming up to my favorite section of this story, although I can't tell you why! I'm so excited to hear your reactions to these sets of chapters!

Chapter 10

Toshiro was still feeling worried when an hour later the door was opened and Ichigo was tossed roughly in, hitting the ground with a grunt and rolling. The white-haired man ran forward, kneeling beside Ichigo and checking for injuries, and happy to find none, not even the old ones.

Ichigo sat up, rubbing at his head and glaring at the open door, where a Fraccion came inside and put down a tray before leaving. "Stupid bastards." the orange-head growled, pushing himself up.

He looked down to Toshiro, who was watching him anxiously. "Ichigo? What happened?"

The orange-head sighed. "I was right; he did want Ogichi to help them. He told them to fuck off, of course, even though Aizen offered us all kinds of things to get us to come over. He even threatened us with your life, as well as that of our sons."

Toshiro growled at that. "How dare he bring them into this..."

"I know." Ichigo murmured. "Even so, he didn't follow through on anything. It kind of worries me…" He shook his head faintly. "It doesn't matter right now; all we need to do is be ready for what he's going to try next. He'll probably attempt to turn you, yuki hime."

"Me?" Toshiro asked. "What could he possibly think would sway me if a Hollow wouldn't agree with him?"

Ichigo frowned at him. "Come on Toshiro, think. He has the Hyougoku; he'll turn you into a vaizard, just like me. He'll be hoping that the Hollow will overpower you, and that he'll be able to convince it to work for him."

Toshiro blinked in shock and then nodded. "You're right… I'd forgotten for a moment." He shook his head faintly. "I wouldn't worry about it, I'm sure that I'm strong enough to handle a Hollow."

Ichigo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Perhaps, but even so, a Hollow isn't easy to control. It took me a long time to get Ogichi to listen to me, and it took him around 5 years before he would even begin to stop thinking about trying to kill me every chance he got, let alone to think of us as partners. It won't be easy, and you may not be able to do it."

The smaller didn't answer those words, but looked towards the door instead, his eyes landing on the tray that sat there. He crept forward cautiously, his eyes locked on what appeared to be food. "Ichigo!"

The other blinked, and then his eyes widened and he rushed forward, his hands shaking as he reached out to grab a chunk of bread. "Thank god, food! I was starting to wonder if he was ever going to feed us!"

Toshiro's hand on his wrist stopped him from taking a bite. "What if it's poisoned?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, yuki hime, what good would poison do at this point? Aizen wants us to fight for him, why in the world would he kill us now?"

The white-haired man couldn't argue that, Ichigo had a point. He released his husband's wrist, but avoided the food nonetheless, instead only drinking the water. He could go for long periods of time without food, but like his problem with water, Ichigo was startlingly similar when it came to food. Already he could see the slight shake to all of the orange-head's movements, and even though he refused to admit it, Ichigo was nearly starving; in fact, he had already begun to lose weight. Toshiro had had to go without food before, where as Ichigo hadn't; his body wasn't used to it.

Toshiro let Ichigo eat everything on the tray, though there wasn't much. There was barely enough to split between the two of them, but Ichigo only agreed to eat if Toshiro did the same when they were given food again. The white-haired man reluctantly agreed, but smiled when he watched Ichigo wolf down the remaining food.

The temperature began to drop as night settled in, and the two of them went to the corner, huddling beneath the single blanket for warmth. Ichigo mashed himself into the corner, Toshiro leaning against his chest as the orange-head wrapped his arms around the smaller's waist.

"What do you think the twins are doing?" Toshiro asked after a while, turning his head where it was resting against Ichigo's left shoulder.

Ichigo chuckled faintly. "Yoru is probably raging at Yamamoto, because knowing the soutaichou, he refused to send out a rescue party."

Toshiro nodded in agreement, a smile on his face. "That's true. I would rather it be that way anyway; we have no more taichous to send out."

The orange-head agreed with him. "As for Sora… he's probably trying to calm down his brother. He was always the peacemaker."

"Yea, he never was much of a fighter, unlike Yoru." Toshiro chuckled faintly. "Yoru's just like you, though, he never really thought things through before jumping in to slash away at it."

Ichigo humped faintly, but had no disagreement with his husband's words. "Yea, and Sora's like you, thinking things through far too much, he over complicates things."

Toshiro laughed softly, but simply turned his head, brushing his nose over Ichigo's pulse point before closing his eyes wearily, sighing. "I miss them."

"I miss them too, yuki hime."

Toshiro woke up first, his head pillowed against Ichigo's thigh. He shifted, not wanting to wake up, but something just kept making him stir again. He sighed, pushing himself up and rubbing a hand through his white hair. Turning, he looked towards his lover, and then his eyes widened.

Ichigo was slumped against the wall, his cheeks flushed, sweat soaking his skin, and his breath panting and quick. Toshiro leaned forward, hesitating for only an instant before pressing his hand against Ichigo's forehead.

He almost leapt back immediately, Ichigo was burning hot. Toshiro swore inwardly, looking frantically around the cell for any water that they might have left. There was nothing, and, still swearing, he turned back to Ichigo.

Carefully he moved the orange-head until he was lying flat on his back. Ichigo was limp in his arms, like a warm ragdoll. Toshiro rubbed a hand over his cheek, trying to wake him.

"Ichigo! Ichigo, come on, wake up! Ichigo!"

There was no response to his calls, not even a moan or a flutter of dark eyelashes. "Damnit!" Toshiro swore heavily. "I knew something was in that food! Damnit! Damnit!"

Toshiro felt panic flowing through his body, knowing that Ichigo's temperature was far too high. He wasn't responding to anything, and sweat soaked his body. The small taichou knelt by the other's head, his fingers running through the stringy orange hair, his hands shaking as he did.

"Damnit…" he swore softly. "Damnit…"

There was suddenly a sound at the door, and Toshiro looked up to see a pitcher of water sliding inside. He leapt to his feet, grabbing it and running back to Ichigo's side, soaking a torn strip of his kimono and laying it on his forehead. He pressed it down, the cool water flowing along his skin before he pulled it off and soaked it again, trying desperately to bring down Ichigo's fever.

Toshiro did this several times, swearing again when the heat didn't seem to be leaving his husband's body at all. He lifted Ichigo's head, carefully pouring water between his dry and cracked lips. "Come on, Ichigo, drink." The water dribbled out of the corner of the orange-head's mouth, running down his cheek.

Toshiro frowned, trying again. "Come on love, drink for me." He smoothed the orange hair gently, his eyes sad. "Drink for me." Ichigo choked at first, but then swallowed as Toshiro coaxed it down his throat.

The night wore on, and Ichigo's fever didn't seem to waver at all. Toshiro could do nothing more than continue to change out the towel on his forehead, wringing his hands in between and worrying. Toshiro felt helpless in this situation; he didn't have the energy left to perform a healing kidou, and there was no way to get any medicine.

He could do nothing more than watch Ichigo suffer silently, and hope to god that his fever didn't get any higher. Already it was clear that he was near the danger zone.

Time passed at a crawl, and after a while Ichigo shifted, moaning faintly. Toshiro was startled from his light doze, his teal eyes snapping to Ichigo's face. He leaned down, his hand cupping Ichigo's frightfully warm face. "Ichigo? Ichigo, come on, open your eyes."

Ichigo's head was thrown to the side, and then his eyelids fluttered slightly, his hands clenching. Toshiro felt hope flood through him, and he smiled, gently patting Ichigo's cheek. "Come on, you're almost there. Wake up, Ichigo!"

A low growl echoed somewhere in Ichigo's chest.

Toshiro blinked, glancing down in alarm before his eyes went back to his husband's face. "Ichigo?"

Black and gold eyes snapped open, a snarl resounding in Ichigo's throat as his body writhed, flying upright and skittering away from Toshiro. The small taichou let out a cry of shock, scooting backwards as Ichigo's hands curled into claws, his teeth bared in his direction.

"O-Ogichi?" Toshiro stuttered out, his eyes locked in the haunting black/gold gaze.

Another snarl echoed across the room, and Ogichi crouched, animal-like, in the corner, shuddering and trembling as he did. He bared his teeth at Toshiro, growling low and angry as he did. Toshiro studied him, and was horrified to see the blankness in his golden eyes.

"He's lost his sense of self."

The voice startled him, making him look up. Aizen stood there, a grin on his face. "We had a drug made and administered. He wouldn't cooperate of his own will, so we took that will away. He's nothing but a mindless beast now."

Toshiro's eyes narrowed, his body shaking with anger. "You…bastard!"

Aizen smirked, and then gestured. A few Fraccion moved forward, reaching towards Ogichi. Ogichi snarled violently, lashing out with clawed hands, kicking and biting as they took hold of his limbs. He managed to land a few punches and hits on the Fraccion, but there were too many of them, and they managed to get a collar around his neck.

Aizen snapped his fingers, and an electric shock sounded in the room. Ogichi yelped, clawing at the collar before wailing when it shocked him again. Aizen smirked. "Now, now. We must behave."

Ogichi snarled at him, tensing to leap, only to be cut off with a squeal of pain when the collar shocked him again. The Fraccion came forward as the orange-head fell limp, consciousness fleeing as the shocks stunned him. Aizen waved as the door was shut. "Goodbye for now, juuban tai taichou."

Toshiro could only stare at the door, before he curled up in the corner, tears falling down his face as he pictured the animalistic face of his lover and husband in his mind, hope draining from him.

"Ichigo…"